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Solstice had arrived with its accompanying heat.I was planning to get away from the business. Tax season had backed me up
so much it took me two months to catch up. The complications of the Affordable Care Act had taken a toll on my business. Harry
Tate, one of my business tenants, walked in as I was just finishing an audit.
"Well, Bud, are the boys ready for the trip?"
I looked up with annoyance. "Are you coming, Harry?"
Harry nodded his curlipate. "I just finished a case, and I really must get away from my work."
"I'll have my hands full with three boys," I smirked. "I can always use some help. The boys have become quite restless since
school ended this month."
"So, when are we leaving?"
"Today is Saturday, so Monday looks good."
Early the next morning, we began to get ready for a pleasant week, unbeknownst that our vacation would be postponed. Harry
and I were in my office that evening when my cellphone rang. I didn't quite recognize the number.
"It's Brian McConnell. Do you remember the last time I needed you?"
"Yes, I called it the 'Case of the Frank Franklin'. Both Pete and Marty were kidnapped after a chase through Franklin Mills.
Meanwhile, I was investigating peculation at a wholesaler."
"How'd you like to do it again?"
"I just finished an audit. Am I to work for free again? I'm no amateur detective."
That last statement intrigued Harry.
"When did you play detective?"
"Who's that?" Brian asked.
"Harry Tate, a professional detective," I revealed.
"Perhaps he can come along, too."
"Brian, I don't think Harry practices pro bono publico," I winked.
Harry jumped in. "What are you talking about?"
"Brian has a case for me involving embezzlement at -- what was the name of the place?"
"Derrick and Crete," Brian answered telephonically.
"Did anything much change there?" I asked.
"Well, they did get another assistant controller after we jailed the one who was there at the time."
"What does the owner say?"
"Bud, the owner has died; his sons took over."
"It has been a while, Brian. When do they want me there?"
"We're near the end of the month, so they figure you can come there under cover of audit."
"I can make it tomorrow, so tell them I'll be there on Tuesday.
"After I hung up, Harry looked at me mischievously.
"So who's taking care of the boys?" Harry asked.
I feigned surprise. "Didn't you just agree to take the boys camping?"
"You want me to take of them alone?"
"No," I corrected. "Don was coming with us."
"Are you sure Don will want to go camping when you get a nice mystery in Philadelphia?"
"Yes, he will go with you, but only if I promise to call him should the case become a mystery."
"What if the boys want to come with you?"
"I don't think so; they'd rather go camping, I refuted wryly. "Besides I may be back before the week is over. I certainly
expect to return before the Arts Festival next month. I want to mime again."
Monday morning drizzled and the boys and the guys took off for nearby campgrounds. It took me the morning before I was ready
for the four-hour drive to suburban Philadelphia. Brian agreed to meet me in the early evening to brief me on the case. I
checked into a local motel in Bensalem just past five o'clock. I called, but Brian hadn't come home yet. I left a message
on voicemail, then went to a fast-food joint. I was just sitting down when my cell rang. "Where're you at, Bud?"
"Bri, I'm at a local restaurant. Can you meet me at my motel?" "I can't make it tonight. Can you go to Derrick and Crete yourself?
You should know the way -- down Bristol Pike then across Grant Avenue."
"Whom shall I meet there?"
"I have you scheduled to meet with the president, Mike Crete."
"Don't you mean Art Crete?"
"He passed on about halfway between the last time you were there in 1996 and now. However, many are still there who remember
how you uncovered embezzlement."
I felt silly because I had forgotten that my client had passed away. It had been a complex adventure, but it had a happy ending,
so I looked with fondness upon coming back for the challenge. When I arrived I felt as though I had been at the wrong place.
A rather large warehouse greeted me, one much larger than I'd remembered. Our meeting was at nine o'clock, and the parking
lot was already filled in the front. The receptionist gave me a badge, a procedure initiated in 2011. However, Brian still
had not arrived. I sat and waited, knowing the office was just around the door I faced. Five minutes later, Mike Crete opened
the door and invited me in. Despite the intervening years, I recognized everyone in the office: Mike's brother Hal, brother-in-law
Scott, and maternal aunt Nagina.
After formalities and small talk, Mike brought us to my purpose.
"We seem to have a strange problem here."
"Missing inventory, supplies, or cash?" I ventured.
"Unexplained happenings at the end of the week, usually past midnight."
"Such as," I continued
"It all began after we had expanded the warehouse and moved the loading dock. After hours started showing unauthorized activity,
but the police kept checking with nothing found."
"So, did you hire private detectives?"
"We want something more substantial, just in case we're dealing with more than petty theft."
"So, where's your controller, and we can begin."
"No, I want an independent audit all the way. So we picked the week he's off. I want you to look at our internal procedures
and how our banks audit us. Brian has gone undercover to check out the other side. We could use another undercover agent.
Do you know of anyone with such experience? Brian is mostly a parole office, not a detective. If something should be happening,
we'd need some professional input."
It looks as though Harry Tate would have a challenge to a vacation after all, I thought as I spent the day going through the
procedure. As a tax professional, I had just taken a course on proper auditing for fraud. That evening I called Harry, who
was happy to help out, despite the relatively low pay.
.For once I wished I'd still had Keith Cahill in State College to watch the boys so Don Hough could join us. Don had more
knowledge of camping, but we could have delayed the trip until after the case.
Because I had started on a Tuesday, the week went fast. I audited everything I could. The accountants were also there at the
end of the month and the quarter. Unlike the last time, I could not find any instance of embezzlement.
Early evening I went to my room,, wrote down my impressions, and even recalled how I had uncovered the crooks the last time
I was there. I longed to go undercover with Brian, hoping he would find a lead the following Friday. Derrick and Crete closed
during the weekends, so I waited for Brian to report to me what was happening that evening.
Late Saturday morning Brian called me to meet him at an industrial park in Bensalem. He was already there, so I drove over
cautiously checking for followers. I went into one building, out the other side, and into another building, then down to the
basement.
Brian met me in the first room on the left.
"What happened last night?"
Brian shook his head.
"We closed as usual, so I looked for somewhere to hide and observe. I thought of a restroom, but I could not find a place,
so I left and hid outside.
"Approximately midnight, after several lights around the dock remained on, a Camaro pulled up. The warehouse night manager,
Connie McKeith, came out. I thought he was asking for something, but he gave the driver something which looked like a plasticine
bag. I noted the license and tried to follow, but I lost him in Bensalem, right near your motel."
"It does suggest that the nefarious events may not have anything to do with finances of the company. Thus we should try a
different strategy. I will let up on the finances while Harry and you check out this angle."
"When's Harry coming?"
"We've arranged for him to join you in the warehouse on Monday."
"Is he stopping here?"
"We could meet here on Sunday rather than risk my motel room."
After the three of us met, Harry and Brian began their more thorough investigation on Monday. They did not dare meet after
work or with me until the end of the week. Independence Day occurred on Saturday, which unfortunately meant that the warehouse
would not be open on that Friday.
The last week in June proved more fruitful as I shifted my investigation toward outside illicit activity around the warehouse.
I continued the charade that nothing was amiss with the finances, which in fact was true. Tuesday was the closing of the books,
so I began to find an excuse to leave before someone had become suspicious. Because Independence Day was on a Saturday, Derrick
and Crete followed the schedule of the shippers and closed Friday as well. So Thursday I decided to announce my departure.
I began gathering my belongings, intending to hand in my report that afternoon. I was going on my hour break when the controller,
who had returned that week, called me into his office. A surprise awaited me.
Earlier that day, I had gone into Mike's office to make arrangements for the upcoming Independence Day weekend. This time
Mike and Hal were in Mike's office. I reported no irregularities from my viewpoint.
So I expected the controller to give me some additional information to exchange before I left. Instead Nagina was sitting
at a round table in the room.
I was so stunned, trying to figure why I was there, and sat down by the table in the room.
"This is your last day at Derrick and Crete," Nagina reported.
"I was thinking the same," I replied somewhat annoyed. "I've found no irregularities in the books, and I must get back to
State College."
Nagina appeared disappointed as I walked out of the office, gathered my boxes, and left. I assumed Harry and Brian were still
in the warehouse, but they too would soon leave.
Independence Day was the following Saturday, and I took the boys camping. We were sitting by the fire Sunday night when Don
mentioned the last case.
"I thought it was a waste of time for me. If there had been fraud, I couldn't find it. What did Harry say?"
"Harry is still there, Bud."
"He what?" I stammered.
"I don't think management even knows he's undercover. When Harry suspects something, he follows it regardless of whether he's
paid. Right now Derrick and Crete has him on their payroll."
A thought hit me. "Is Brian still there?"
"I don't know. I suppose Nagina had dismissed him as well. Surely she knew he was part of the investigation."
"What's her angle, anyway?"
"Rumor has it that Nagina insisted that the company auditors were sufficient to detect fraud. They also have bank auditors."
"That may be, but any conspiracy could cover up the fraud. There's also the issue of high turnover. The company has sextupled
since I was there in 1996, which means there are six times as much opportunity for fraud."
Don stared ahead, deep in thought.
"I'd better call him," he decided while pulling out his cellphone. He frowned as his handsome face reflected the light from
the campfire.
"No signal?" I guessed.
"No answer," Don shook his curlipate.
"Let me call Brian," I answered. I too had no luck on the call.
"When are we leaving tomorrow?" Don followed up.
"The Arts Festival will be starting on Tuesday night, and I want to pitch in. So, I expect to leave tomorrow morning to give
me a full day at the office. Besides, Wednesday is Children's Day. I will be busy that day at the festival.
I was still busy Tuesday afternoon when the phone rang in my office. Don had news.
"Harry says he may need you after all, despite what the owners say. He's coming tomorrow to see us."
"I'll be at the festival. I agreed to mime."
"Oh, yes. It's Children's Day."
"When can we meet? He'll have a time trying to find me at the festival."
"Harry said he's leaving Philadelphia early, about seven o'clock. It should take four hours to drive the four hundred kilometers.
He says he can meet you at noon."
"Tell him I'll meet him at the Hetzel Union Building. I'll be in the lobby. We may lunch in the rear."
All through the day I wondered what Harry needed me to do. Every day at Derrick and Crete I could find nothing irregular in
the finances. Still, it must be that there are irregularities on Friday nights. What could it mean? Management had to be covering
up some operation.
I was still slightly behind in my work, which occupied me the rest of the day. I figured Harry would update me in due time.
Besides I had to make up enough work to push me ahead a few days.
"The boys might not recognize you," Don remarked.
I was in full mime makeup.
"I do well for my age," I teased.
Don dropped me off, and I began a morning of prancing around the festival with clowns and other mimes, mostly entertaining
the kids. As usual, the heat was beginning to get to me in late morning. I began worrying the July humidity would melt my
makeup, or at least the sweat would dissolve it. I withdrew to an alley for some shade and water.
As I sat, I heard a lawn mower's buzzing. Then I heard an explosion drown out the buzzing. A piece of branch of a tree floated
past me as another explosion spattered bark of the tree under which I sat. I instinctively dove for cover into the bushes
surrounding the tree and the bench upon which I was sitting.
By this time, I heard footsteps. I glanced toward the source of the shots, and saw no one. I was not happy I had left my pistol
home.
Don reached me first and helped me up.
"You were lucky," he admonished. "With your height and get-up, I don't know how anyone could have missed!"
"You're such a comfort," I replied sarcastically.
Don smiled. Harry is waiting for you."
I smiled back. "I hope he excuses my appearance."
The police arrived, but the assailant was long gone. I made a quick statement on what had happened and where they could reach
me. I wanted to join in the investigation, but Harry was waiting.
I began a long walk onto campus, up the mall, and toward the building. There was nothing unusual until I walked far enough
away from the festival.
Oh, the stares I received when I entered the lobby. I ignored them all and found Harry in the back of the lobby.
He pulled a chair for me, and as I sat down, he said, "Bud, I need you back."
"How can I come back? Nagina has dismissed me."
"I was looking elsewhere."
I glanced over at Don. He gave me a wry smile.
"We have quite an obstacle here."
"I would think so. How can I sneak back there without notice?" I protested.
"Harry just arranged for you to work there at night."
"How's that?"
"A false identification, Bud. You'll also need a dark wig, unless you dye your hair. We need as many undercover as possible."
"Why not Don? Nobody there knows him."
"Because," Don answered. "I must stay with the boys. Besides, you know more about the case."
"I expect the case to break soon. I have almost enough evidence for the police. I traced the dealing of the methamphetamines
to a business building on Street Road near the casinos. Brian and I are going to check it out after work tomorrow night."
"Wait a minute," I soughed. "Suppose the one who shot at me works the night shift!"
"Therefore, the disguise," Don suggested.
"As if you need one now!" Harry added. "It's possible that your assailant really doesn't know your face."
Then Harry paused and said, "Do you have copies of your reports and the list of employees at Derrick and Crete?"
"My assailant could be in there," I caught on. "I kept copies in case I needed proof of my work. We can start with the night
manager and work our way down. Let me work it out, and then I'll come back to Philadelphia and join you by tomorrow. We can
compare notes with what I have and what you and Brian find out."
Because of the assault on me, the police banned all the mimes that afternoon, so I had an excuse to go home and search.
My prime suspect was the night manager, who must have known about the shenanigans late Friday nights, but he could not have
done it alone. There must be at least a core group who works on that night and an outside group.
How clever they must be to know what the owners would do, so one of them must know the owners well. As I went through the
names, I began another thought, perhaps the mastermind used to work there. So I needed a list of former employees, but how
could obtain one?
With that thought in the back of my mind, I started out early Thursday morning for Philadelphia and Derrick and Crete. Because
Brian and Harry had worked the night shift, I didn't expect them to be awake before noon.
When I arrived at my motel, I went straight to my room to nap. I had just lain down when I heard a tap on the door. Thinking
it room service, I ignored it. The tapping became persistent, so I finally arose to answer it.
My draw dropped when I opened the door. There stood Harry.
"I wasn't expecting you already," I confessed.
"Wait until I bring you up to date," Harry stumbled into the room. "What happened?"
"Brian and I are not sure how, but we stumbled upon another aspect of the case. We were following a lead from the warehouse
when Brian happened to overhear something about an eyesore. So after work last night, we went to that business building near
the casinos. We thought we might find evidence of what was going on in the warehouse. We managed to sneak in the back window."
"A risky adventure," I commented.
"A bit too risky. Brian and I had just made it to a rather empty room with just a few computers, when we heard someone at
the front door. We ducked into a closet and waited."
"Let me guess: the owners."
"We're not sure. We must have been in there only a few minutes when we smelled smoke. It was just our luck the door jammed.
By that time, we heard the crackle of a fire. Brian and I tried to break open the door, which must have locked when we scurried
inside. We did manage to knock open the door. By that time, the room was full of smoke. Brian and I moved down to the floor
and just managed to escape back out the window, which we had left open upon entering."
"So, where's Brian?"
"He sprained his shoulder when we knocked open the door. He won't be able to work tonight. We're going to investigate without
him."
"What's the theory behind the fire at this iSore?"
"It's too much a coincidence. There must have been evidence of drug dealing there. Right before we smelled smoke, we has smelled
the pungent odor of turpentine."
"Which makes it more imperative we find evidence at the warehouse. It's Thursday, so we have only one day to find it," I concluded.
"The fact that Brian is out of the investigation may make it easier, because the upper management won't know us."
"Unless one of them spots me over the next two day," I reminded. "We still don't know who took a shot at me. I think we'll
have to give up after Friday night."
Thursday afternoon I took Brian's place. Connie McKeith accepted me, perhaps too readily. I began as a picker of orders, with
open ears. Everything seems so routine until my hour off. As I approached the lunchroom, I overheard two of the employees'
mentioning that "Talag would destroy our caper."
I paused enough to hear, "Proctor would kill him if he did." Then I continued on my way as I heard footfalls enough to think
it prudent to leave the area.
The rest of the evening ran routinely, but I knew who Hank Proctor was. He had been at the firm only a short time and had
been promoted to assistant manager of the night crew. I also knew he had worked in Langhorne for a call center briefly.
I thought I had enough information to share with Harry once we came together. Midnight we each left separately, planning to
meet around noon at the same secret place.
Friday morning I was up around eight o'clock. The local news had more coverage of the fire at the local business near the
casinos. The fire had gutted the entire section, and the police suspected arson.
The reporters noted the presence of an accelerant, and how it helped spread the fire. I could only think of how fortunate
Brian and Harry were to break out of the closet in time to escape.
That afternoon Harry and I went to Derrick and Crete as usual. This time I did not overhear anything significant. McKeith
occasionally walked through the aisles in various aspect of his work. As midnight approached, the other workers prepared to
leave. I briefly came within earshot of Harry, who motioned to meet him outside.
When the work ended, Harry and I remained apart on clocking out. Once outside, we hid behind the buildings to observe the
antics around the loading docks.
Once again we saw a van pull up to the docks.
"That's the same white van," Harry whispered.
McKeith came out of the warehouse, walked up to the passenger side and out of our view. We moved closer for a look but could
not get the right angle.
I motioned to follow McKeith, expecting him to get back to his office. Because the action was on the docks, I took advantage
of the diversion to sneak into a position observing the office. McKeith went into his office with a small plasticine bag.
Of course, I though, they bribe him with drugs, probably methamphetamines! Then I heard more coming, so I slipped up the stairs
to be out of sight.
Below me I heard the men talk about the haul of drugs, and how they were delivering the cash to Hank Proctor at some place
called "Hard Cranks".
I wondered where Harry was at the time. Surely he was getting the same information. I did not want to call the police in case
he had, I also wanted to get as much information as possible.
Then out of nowhere, I caught a glimpse of a short blond man in his early twenties down the end of an aisle. I ducked out
of sight and paused wondering whether I should stay or leave.
I chose the latter and began to move toward the conveyor belts to get down to an exit. At that time I remembered what Deryl
Talag's description was. Why would a former employee be lurking around? I was almost ready to descend when Talag must have
spotted me behind him and started running. Impulse forced me to chase him, but as I ran down the last set of stairs, I slid.
I had almost fallen off, catching the banister. I had just caught my fall when I felt a jab into my arm. I saw the floor come
up to meet me as everything went black.
I felt as if the next few hours had disappeared. When I came back to consciousness, it felt like a nightmare.
As I felt my awareness return, I found myself gagged and tied to a pole. Cleave-gagged and wrists bound behind, I sat on the
warehouse floor below a girder. Having no idea how long I was out, I realized that no one seemed around.
From behind the étagčres, Talag appeared. An evil smile broke across his face.
"I see the ketamine finally wore off. I was afraid you'd slip away before I had a chance to have my revenge."
My biggest worry at the time was the strangeness of the situation. Where was Harry? Where was the gang? Where was the police?
Talag stood right beside me and pulled out a pistol. "Stand up," he commanded.
As I slowly arose and shimmied my wrists up the pole, I realized how small Talag was, about a meter and a half. Hey eyes slowly
rose with me, finally realizing I was around four decimeters taller.
After the initial shock, he backed off, then the wicked smile returned.
"It's time to take my revenge on Derrick and Crete and one of its members."
I could not understand what he meant. I was in no position to argue, so I stood there quietly. Talag came around behind me,
then silently left. I continued standing and wondering what to expect next.
Then I felt another presence behind me.
"Bud, it's Harry. Hold still."
Then we heard an outrage.
"No! Stop! Get away!"
And explosion hit the girder about a half meter above my head. Harry had just cut the ropes, so we both ran. We turned into
an aisle when, instead of another shot, we heard an explosion.
Another shot rang out with a scream. Before either of us could stop running, we heard girders begin to collapse. A huge and
coordinated screech from several steel pillars outshouted the screams as the second floor over the destroyed girder collapsed
onto the ground floor.
Harry and I were stunned as a cloud of dust spewed at us. I quickly took off the gag and used it for a filter. Harry pulled
out a handkerchief and did likewise. A minute passed then we cautiously moved around the aisle to see a mass of twisted metal
and squashed boxes.
A police siren arose outside. Harry looked at me, then averted his eyes.
"They won't have any more to arrest tonight", he stated.
Harry told me he'd give me the details later, so I drove to my motel in fifteen minutes and collapsed in bed. I was still
sleeping when a persistent knock on my door awakened me.
Brian and Harry were on the doorstep.
I invited them in and began to dress.
"I waited until the gang had passed the exchange. Brian directed the police to wait until then to move in. We caught all of
them except one, and the night manager. As you suspected, he was quite addicted to the methamphetamine. He confessed and implicated
the gang."
"What will become of McKeith? After testimony, he may be sent to Chicago under an assumed name for all I care," I spat. "Obviously
Derrick and Crete will fire him."
"As the gang left the warehouse, I had the police catch them," Brian continued. "Then the police came back to the warehouse.
"Why didn't they look for me?"
"In the chaos, the police didn't find you in the warehouse. Our guess is that Talag managed to cover your body like a bundle,
enough to fool the police in a cursory search. The police assumed you were no longer in the warehouse," Brian answered.
"But I didn't believe it," Harry interjected. "I knew you had gone into the warehouse, yet your cellphone produced no answer.
In essence, you did not check in with me. It was past 1 AM, so I began a furtive search of the warehouse until I caught sight
of Talag and followed him to you.
"When I saw him, then you, I knew I had been right. I waited until he had withdrawn from the area, I rushed to get you out
of there before he detonated the explosive.
"Do you remember tales of an account representative about a year ago who died in a gun accident?"
The question startled me. "Yes, wasn't it around Lancaster on a weekend?"
"That was Talag as well. Apparently he had been discharged two years so he's been plotting revenge since then, waiting for
a chance to get back at Nagina and the Cretes. Our unfortunate rep became a target when Talag suspected he had overheard the
plot, so he made the effort to track him down from Philadelphia."
"How did you find out about this?"
"Your suspicions, Bud. Remember you started becoming suspicious of former employees after you had left Derrick and Crete."
Brian, who had been silent the entire time, spoke. "We have a further the mystery for you."
"What's that?"
"We did not capture Hank Proctor. The police have a bulletin out on him. Could you figure where he'd be hiding?"
I thought a moment. "He was in a call center in Langhorne. Is there one called something close to Hard Cranks, or was it just
a joke?"
Harry, who had been sitting, jumped up.
"That's it, Brian!"
"I know where that is," Brian caught on.
"Give me time to get dressed," I followed the logic as I ducked into the bathroom.
I was out in five minutes. Because it was near noon on a Saturday, the traffic was becoming heavy into Langhorne. Harry took
us in his car and weaved through traffic. Soon we were at the call center.
The place was barely lit as we walked in with an employee. She looked at us strangely and asked, "Can I help you?"
"We're looking for Hank the Crank," Harry responded.
"Did he tell you he'd be here?"
"He said whenever we needed him, he'd be here at noon on a Saturday."
"Wait here," she commanded, while holding up a card to the door. It beeped and left her in.
Harry moved quickly as he and Brian blocked the door from closing. Before she could protest, I caught a glimpse of Proctor.
Unfortunately, he saw us as well!
Instantly I pushed ahead to catch him with Brian and Harry right behind me. I had just enough of an aperçu to notice he had
turned left. However a maze of cubicles greeted us on either side of the aisle, but we had the disadvantage of chasing in
rather dark environments. Despite the approach of noon and strong sunlight through distant windows, it was quite dank in a
large room of mazes without overhead lights.
When I finally turned right, I lost Proctor. Harry, who had gone down a parallel aisle, yelled, "He turned left!"
By the time I reached the corner, Harry, was there, still sprinting forward. I joined him, but there was only an option to
turn left.
As Harry and I reached a wide, long aisle, we saw Proctor almost at the exit. Before we had gone ten meters, Brian, who had
taken another path, sailed at Proctor and knocked him down right in front of the vestibule. Brian's shoulder must have really
hurt, I thought as Harry and I made up the
meters among us. Harry helped hold Proctor down while I called the police.
EPILOG
Harry liked to tease me. "Did you figure out who took a shot at you?"
"Obviously Talag. If he had been ambitious enough to go to Lancaster, he certainly would go to State College," I replied.
"I figure someone in the gang had told him I was there for some nefarious deed, perhaps to cover for Nagina."
"How do you think they convinced Talag that Nagina did not want to get rid of you?" Brian joined in.
"After thinking about it, I suspect they told Talag some tale that I was going to help her do something against Talag," I
continued. "Someone had to supply my address, and he must have seen me as a mime. Talag probably thought he'd get away better
by mixing with the crowd in the Arts Festival. Talag must have been quite mentally unbalanced. Derrick and Crete should not
have discharged him so abruptly."
Harry smiled and patted my shoulder.
"Somehow Talag become convinced that you were working for her, and when he saw you, he guessed you were spying for her. Talag
had nothing to do with the drug passing in the warehouse. He was simply out for revenge."
"Some revenge," I muttered. "I suppose he'd wanted to set the warehouse on fire when he blew it up."
"Quite so," Brian added. "They found explosives all over the warehouse."
"So now that it's all over, I think I'll call this caper, 'The Case of the Imprintable Impressions'".
"Bud, it certainly made quite an impression," Harry agreed. "So, let's go back home and give Brian a chance to recover."
"The next time I have a similar mystery, I'll be sure to call you," Brian half kidded.
"The next time I'll charge a fee," Harry threatened. "I'll also add some for Bud."
We bade Brian goodbye, entered our vehicle, and sped away. I had much to do in State College that weekend, and the Arts Festival
topped the list. This time I had three boys in mind for keeping my promise.
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